1uzfe Soarer What Are They Like?  

Great engine, unfortunately let down as the cars are relatively heavy and suspension isn't exactly sporty. Check the electronics in the car as these are pretty common to fail (especially the ones with the crazy suspension and all of the radio's/etc), check the auto box shifts relatively smoothly (although they can stand up to a lot of abuse, they do need servicing) and then it's just a matter of the general stuff (check for sludge under oil cap as they are mostly imports).

1st May 2012 - 01:52 AM  Reply  Quote

Boats, like boats, mate.

1st May 2012 - 02:09 AM  Reply  Quote

VERY big doors though. A 'normal' spot will barelly be wide enough for you and a passenger to slip in and out unless you are both Kate Moss.

1st May 2012 - 03:31 AM  Reply  Quote

big doors make it easier to get out, i find it alot earier in my soarer with tigher parking spots than what my r33 was like, also easier than the old SS

1st May 2012 - 03:48 AM  Reply  Quote

only easier to get out big doors if you have room to open them right up.

1st May 2012 - 04:10 AM  Reply  Quote

um no with less room actually, as them being so long in length they allow wider opening gaps without having to open as wide. Obviously you have never owned a soarer,
to open completely yes they require more space, for opening enough to get out of they require less width than in a normal car

1st May 2012 - 04:13 AM  Reply  Quote

ah, do they have those fancy hinges that pop the door out and then swing away?

1st May 2012 - 04:17 AM  Reply  Quote

not sure on that, but in mates apartment building i can part my soarer and open the door to get out, in his hilux or mazda 6 he has to climb over out the passengers door, also in my terrano i have the same issue with having to get out the passenger door when parkin in his car park.
Also at previous unit i lived in when i had the r33 i couldnt open the door without being a tight squeeze, yet when got the soarer i had alot easier time getting out, didnt have to hold my breathe and squeeze by

1st May 2012 - 04:23 AM  Reply  Quote

No chance in hell a longer door can be easier to get out of than a shorter door in a tight space. Common sense here.

1st May 2012 - 03:29 PM  Reply  Quote

So just to prove my point i whipped up this quick drawing. The red line is where the seats are. Now tell me that i am not correct.

1st May 2012 - 03:34 PM  Reply  Quote

I guess the best question to ask you is: What are you looking for in the vehicle?

if you're wanting an agile sporty vehicle with good potential for performance.... keep looking

If you're wanting a big comfortable cruiser that is sure-footed on the road and makes the right noises, you've made a great choice.

The 1UZ is a great motor, strong internals, very reliable, unfortunately restricted like crazy due to the exhaust manifolds on them. To change these means removing the engine... so getting more performance out of them is going to mean a fair bit of work. A simple cat-back system get get the motor making a nicer noise though.. and with 194kw at the flywheel, they dont go too badly for what they are.

Airbag suspension models are prone to have suspension failures due to age. Best bet is to find a coil-sprung model or if you do get an airbag model give the suspension the flick and fit a set of JZA80 Supra Bilsteins. I had these in mine and they were magic (can source some for you if you need)

Electronically, things to look out for are blinky dash (not too hard to fix if you find the how-to guide on the web), also if you get the limited model which has the integrated stereo/climate contol/digital screen, they can become a bit of a pain in the ass when they get old (as mentioned above). Also, watch out for the fuel gauges... they use a digital sender which can throw inconsistent readings when it gets dirty (you'll notice the gauge jumping back and forward, just a matter of removing it from the tank and cleaning it). Personally, I'd suggest finding a pov pack with the cloth trim. Leather seats are not too hard to find if you really must have them, the other bells and whistles that come with the limited models are typically more pain than they are worth at this age.

Soarercentral is a great source of info as well if you'd like to know more on them. Good luck

1st May 2012 - 05:03 PM  Reply  Quote

We have a JZZ30 Soarer. Excellent car, very underrated. For the price they're going for these days purchasing one wouldn't be a decision you regret. Do make sure the electronics are in good nick though as they're very well known for farting out. We deliberately purchased a POV pack Soarer due to this.

1st May 2012 - 05:15 PM  Reply  Quote

I cant say I have ever had too many problems. Yes I do need to suck in the guts sometimes... but its really not that bad due to the hinge design.

We could sit here and argue the schematics all day, but fact is I dont know of any owners (current or former) who have had major complaints with the doors in this regard. Only people who have likely never owned one (yay for experts)

2nd May 2012 - 03:53 PM  Reply  Quote

mate own a 91 1uzfe soarer and a 07 wrx, pick the soarer any day of the week, as for the doors, not a problem cause you sit nearly at the back of the door (especially if you get the model when you take the key out the seat moves back and the steering column shifts) as for being a bit of a boat, if you get the base model with the factory coilovers they handle near on par as a 33, the fuel tank actually sits in the boot in line with the engine givving you a better weight distribution, as for realiability, the motors are bullet proof, from factory they come with 6 bolt mains, forged rods and crank, cast iron sleeves, and all the other good stuff, the one thing that lets them down is the plastic thermostat housing and resivour, i fixed this by taking it to my mate and getting them to make one in alloy, looks great and solves a problem, doesnt hurt to throw a earthing kit in it either, hope this helped, also fuel economy is good, made it from newcastle to brisbane on one tank (about 750 kms)

3rd May 2012 - 01:22 AM  Reply  Quote

Fucking awesome cars the GTL limited V8s, so ridiculously plush and luxurious, would own another in a heartbeat. I really lucked out with mine it was a really beautiful example and everything worked perfectly which was a bonus considering just how many epic electrics and magic trickery is in these things. I dont reckon you can get any more car for your money with anything else, they are just bullshit awesome for what you can pick them up for.

3rd May 2012 - 03:32 AM  Reply  Quote